Literature display box and foldable blank for forming same

ABSTRACT

A fold-up blank die cut from a planar sheet of thin plastic material is readily assembled into a literature display box having rectangular bottom, front and rear walls with the rear wall being substantially higher. The side edges of the bottom wall include fold-up slit forming tabs, and the front and back walls both include side wall panels which on the edges contiguous with the bottom wall have arrowhead tabs which may be inserted into the respective slits as the front and back walls are folded up and the side wall panels folded toward each other. The side wall panels on the front wall overlap the side wall panels on the back wall, with the latter including rearwardly inclined outer edges against which the front wall abuts, and which forms a substantial continuation of the side edges of the front wall.

DISCLOSURE

This invention relates generally as indicated to a literature displaybox and a foldable blank for forming such box. More particularly theinvention relates to a blank for a literature display or holder whichships flat in a compact package and which can be readily assembled intoa low-cost, free-standing, take-one literature holder and display.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Free-standing, take-one literature holders and displays are frequentlyused on counters, tabletops and the like, in offices, banks,restaurants, or retail stores, for example. Such holders and displaysare usually injection molded rigid boxes which are fairly expensive, buteven more expensive to ship and store in inventory.

In prior application for U.S. Pat. No. 177,485, entitled "Display Boxand Foldable Blank", filed Apr. 1, 1988, there is described a literaturebox formed of relatively rigid plastic planar panels from a fold-upblank. While addressing the problem of a literature box which may beshipped flat for assembly by the user, the molds on dies for producingthe blank in the molding process are nonetheless quite expensive.

Attempts have been made to provide a low-cost, fold-up literaturedisplay box formed from thin plastic sheet as seen in prior U.S. Pat.No. 4,630,731. In such prior patent the blank is vacuum formed toinclude three-dimensional wall panel portions and circular fingerprojections for assembly. This distorts the plastic material andprovides a bulky package for shipment. Moreover, the appearance of thebox when formed may detract from the literature being displayed. Othertypes of fold-up display boxes are seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,909,472,4,579,232, and 2,125,725.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A fold-up blank die cut from a planar sheet of thin plastic material isreadily assembled into a literature display box having a rectangularbottom, front and rear walls with the rear wall being substantiallyhigher. The side edges of the bottom wall include fold-up, slit formingtabs and the front and back walls both include side wall panels which onthe edges contiguous with the bottom wall have arrowhead tabs which maybe inserted into the respective slits as the front and back walls arefolded up and the side wall panels folded toward each other. The sidewall panels on the front wall overlap the side wall panels on the backwall, with the latter including rearwardly inclined outer edges againstwhich the front wall abuts, and which forms a substantial continuationof the side edges of the front wall.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends the invention,then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described andparticularly pointed out in the claims, the following description andthe annexed drawing setting forth in detail certain illustrativeembodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but afew of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may beemployed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a fold-up planar plastic sheet blank inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view on a reduced scale of the blank beingassembled;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a somewhat larger scale of the box fullyassembled;

FIG. 4 is a similar view showing literature in the box; and,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partially broken away side elevation of the box.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a blank shown generallyat 10 from which the literature box of the present invention may beassembled. The blank is die cut from a thin sheet of plastic materialsuch as clear PVC and may be on the order of 12 gauge or 0.012 inches inthickness. In any event, the sheet is planar and provides planarunmarred surfaces for the various walls of the box to be formed.

In the illustration of the blank shown, a double line indicates scoringwhich is a U-shape groove which extends approximately halfway throughthe thickness of the plastic sheet and is on the surface of the sheetfacing the viewer. A single line, on the other hand, illustrates a slitwhich extends completely through the sheet.

The blank includes a rectangular bottom wall 12 which along the frontedge is provided with three spaced scorings seen at 13, 14 and 15,between which are U-shape slits 16 and 17. In this manner the bottomwall is hinged to a front wall 18 which is also rectangular inconfiguration.

Next to the back edge of the bottom wall is a rear wall 20. The edgeconnection is again formed by spaced scorings 21, 22 and 23 andintermediate U-shape slits 24 and 25.

It is noted that the front, bottom and back walls are of the sameuniform width, but that the back wall 20 is about 21/2 times the length,or height when folded, of the front wall.

Extending from the side edges of the bottom wall 12 are relatively shortfold-up tabs seen at 28 and 29. The tab 28 is connected to the side ofthe bottom wall by spaced scorings 30 and 31 with slot-forming slit 32therebetween. The slit is provided with inwardly directed angled endsseen at 33 and 34 so that when the tab 28 is folded up a slot is formedat the bottom edge of the fold-up tab. The fold-up tab 29 is connectedto the opposite side edge of the bottom wall in the same manner byscorings 36 and 37 with slot forming slit 38 therebetween.

Hingedly connected to each side of the back wall 20 through the scoringsindicated at 40 and 41 are first side wall panels 42 and 44, which, asseen, are mirror images of each other. The side wall panels include anend edge 44 which is a continuation of the end edge 46 of the back wall.The end edge, of course, becomes the upper edge when the blank isfolded. The end edge extends through a radius 47 into an angled outeredge 48 which comprises the major extent of the outer edge of the sidewall panel. The outer edge extends to edge 49 which is parallel to thescoring 40. From the parallel edge 49 to the back wall-bottom wallhinge, the side wall panel includes an edge 50. The edge 50 forms anacute angle which is slightly less than 90° with the scoring 40 which isthe side edge of the back wall. In this manner, when the box isassembled the rear wall will extend slightly forwardly. The edge 50includes a fastening tab 52 which is in the form of a broad arrowheadand scoring is provided as indicated at 53 to permit the tab to hingetoward the viewer.

The opposite side wall panel 44 has the same edge configuration and onthe inner or lower edge when folded includes the hinged arrowheadfastening tab 54.

Hinged to each side of the front wall 18 are second side wall panels 56and 58 which are hinge connected to the side edges of the front wall 18by the scoring indicated at 59 and 60, respectively. The side wallpanels 56 and 58 each include an outer edge (again, upper when folded)62 which extends from the edge 63 of the front panel to edge 64 which isparallel to the scoring 59 which forms the side edge of the front panel.The side edge includes an angled inner edge 65 which extends at an acuteangle with respect to the scoring 59, such acute angle being slightlygreater than the angle between the edge 62 and the scoring 59. The edge65 is provided with the arrowhead fastening tab seen in 67 which againincludes scoring indicated at 68 to permit the tab to be folded normalto the plane of the side panel 56. The opposite side panel 58 is, ofcourse, a mirror image of the side panel 56 and includes arrowheadfastening tab 70.

Referring now to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the blank may be assembledor folded into the literature box of the present invention, first byfirmly bending all scores or hinge lines and folding up the two fold-uptabs 28 and 29. Then, folding up the back wall 20, the side walls panelsare folded forwardly and the tabs 52 and 54 are inserted in the slots 32and 38. Finally, the front wall is folded up and the second side wallpanels 56 and 58 are folded rearwardly overlapping the side wall panels42 and 44 and the fastening tabs 67 and 70 are also inserted through theslots 32 and 38 to form the literature box as seen in FIG. 3. In theassembled condition, the box at the bottom wall is approximately threeinches deep and slightly over four inches wide. The back wall extendsupwardly approximately five and one-half inches and is ideally suited tocontain take-one literature as indicated at 74 in FIG. 4. In this mannerthe major portion of literature is exposed to the viewer and the user ofthe literature box may also include a message on the front planar wall18.

As seen in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the major edge 48 of the first side wallpanels 42 and 44 is substantially aligned with the front wall 18 of theliterature box and in fact the lower portions of the edges 48 abutagainst the inside of the front wall at the side edges.

Also, as the front and rear walls are folded up, the slits 16, 17, 24and 25 form slightly downwardly extending projections as seen at 76 and77. These projections act as stabilizing feet to prevent the box fromrocking forwardly or rearwardly.

When the box is assembled at the side lower edges there is providedthree overlapping parts. The inner part, of course, is the fold-up tabs28 and 29. The intermediate parts are the lower portions of the firstside wall panels 42 and 44, and the outer parts are the second side wallpanels 56 and 58.

It can now be seen that there is provided a low cost literature displaybox and foldable blank for forming such box, which blank may be shippedflat and in a fairly compact package. Moreover, the box when assembledhas the appearance of a more costly box.

I claim:
 1. A literature display box comprising a bottom wall, a frontwall hinged to the front edge of said bottom wall, a back wall hinged tothe back edge of said bottom wall, first side wall panels hinged to eachside of said back wall and secured to the respective side edge of saidbottom wall, and second side wall panels hinged to each side of saidfront wall and secured to the respective side edge of said bottom wall,said second side wall panels overlapping the respective first side wallpanels.
 2. A display box as set forth in claim 1 wherein the edge ofsaid side wall panels hinged to the sides of the front wall contiguouswith the bottom wall extends at an acute angle with respect to the sideof said front wall whereby the front wall extends rearwardly inclinedfrom the bottom wall.
 3. A display box as set forth in claim 2 whereinthe side wall panels hinged to the sides of the back panel include aninclined outer edge abutting against said front wall at the side edgesthereof.
 4. A display box as set forth in claim 1 wherein said bottomwall includes fold-up tabs at each side edge fitting within theoverlapped side wall panels.
 5. A display box as set forth in claim 4including a slit in said fold-up tabs, each side wall panel including afastening tab fitting through the respective such slit.
 6. A display boxas set forth in claim 5 wherein each fastening tab comprises anarrowhead tab.
 7. A display box as set forth in claim 1 wherein saidback wall is higher than said front wall, and said front wall isinclined rearwardly.
 8. A display box as set forth in claim 7 whereinsaid side wall panels hinged to each side of the back wall include anouter edge at substantially the same angle of inclination as said frontwall.
 9. A display box as set forth in claim 1 wherein said display boxis formed of thin plastic.
 10. A literature display box comprising abottom wall hinged to the front edge of said bottom wall, a back wallhinged to the back edge of said bottom wall, first side wall panelshinged to each side of said back wall and secured to the respective sideedge of said bottom wall, and second side wall panels hinged to eachside of said front wall and secured to the respective side edge of saidbottom wall, said second side wall panels overlapping the respectivefirst side wall panels.
 11. A display box as set forth in claim 10wherein the edge of the second side wall panels contiguous with saidbottom wall extends at an acute angle with respect to the side of saidfront wall whereby said front wall extends rearwardly inclined from saidbottom wall.
 12. A display box as set forth in claim 10 wherein saidfirst side wall panels include an outer edge substantially aligned withsaid front wall.
 13. A display box as set forth in claim 12 wherein saidfirst side wall panel outer edge and said front wall are rearwardlyinclined from said bottom wall.
 14. A display box as set forth in claim10 wherein said bottom wall includes fold-up tabs at each side edgefitting within the overlapped side wall panels.
 15. A display box as setforth in claim 10 including a slit in said fold-up tabs, each side wallpanel including a fastening tab fitting through the respective suchslit.
 16. A display box as set forth in claim 15 wherein each fasteningtab comprises an arrowhead tab.
 17. A display box as set forth in claim10 wherein said back wall is higher than said front wall, and said frontwall is inclined rearwardly.
 18. A display box as set forth in claim 10wherein said display box is formed of thin plastic sheet.
 19. A fold-upblank for a literature display box comprising a bottom wall, a frontwall and a back wall connected to front and back edges of said bottomwall by score lines, fold-up tabs at each side of said bottom wallconnected thereto by score lines and a center slit, side walls connectedto each side of said front and back walls by score lines, said sidewalls each including projecting fastener tabs on the edge thereofcontiguous with the bottom wall whereby when the fold-up tabs are foldedup, the front and back walls are folded up, and the side walls foldedtoward each other, said fastener tabs may be inserted into the centerslits of each fold-up tab to secure the box in assembled condition. 20.A blank as set forth in claim 19 wherein said fastening tabs arearrowhead tabs.
 21. A blank as set forth in claim 19 wherein said scorelines connecting the front and back walls to the bottom wall includeU-shape slits adapted to form stabilizing feet for the box when thefront and back walls are folded up.
 22. A blank as set forth in claim 19wherein said front, back and bottom walls are each the same width, butsaid back wall extends more than twice the distance as said front wallfrom said bottom wall.
 23. A blank as set forth in claim 19 wherein thefastening tab edges of the side walls connected to the front wall extendat an acute angle to the edge of the front wall whereby the front wallwill extend upwardly at a rearwardly inclined angle when fastening thetab is inserted in the slit.
 24. A blank as set forth in claim 23wherein the side walls connected to the back wall include an angled edgewhich is in substantial alignment with the front wall when the box is inassembled condition.
 25. A blank as set forth in claim 19 wherein saidblank is die cut from a planar sheet of thin plastic material.